PAGSISIKHAY (EFFORTS) OF SANTA ROSA CITIZENS, RECOGNIZED DURING SIKHAYAN 2023

 

Sikhayan 2023 Winners-- Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas together with City Mayor Arnold Arcillas with actor Alden Richard attend the parade as highlight of the celebration is the Sikhayan Street Dance Competition. Winners during the competition include Barangay Sinalhan (4th place), Barangay Macabling (3rd place), Barangay Caingin (2nd place), Barangay Pooc (1st place). Barangay Tagapo who won in the previous year, was hailed as the Grand Champion for the second consecutive year. Special awards were also handed to Barangay Pooc as they received the Best in Street Dance and Best in Costume awards. Meanwhile, Ms. Sofia Margaret Austria from Barangay Sinalhan was crowned as the Reyna of Sikhayan.(ROY TOMANDAO)

SANTA ROSA CITY LAGUNA --Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas once again recognized the efforts of every individual in the City of Santa Rosa in this year’s Sikhayan Festival held on February 18 at the City of Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex.

Sikhayan was derived from the words “sikap” at “kabuhayan” which intends to celebrate and recognize the efforts of the people in the city.

In her message during the opening of the festival, Mayor Arlene said that the “pagsisikhay” of the citizens was the key to the development of Santa Rosa from the former municipality which thrives from farming and fishing towards becoming a commercial and industrial city that it is today. In addition to the investors that entered and has continued to stay inside the city for many years.

Mayor Arlene also called on everyone’s participation for the continuous development of Santa Rosa consistent with the theme of Sikahayan 2023.

“Sikhayan is a testament to the unity and efforts not only of the City Government, not only of the industries, but of each and every Santa Rosa family,” she said.

The late Mayor Leon C. Arcillas who is considered the “Ama ng Lungsod” was also recognized by Mayor Arlene for having faith in the potential of the city and its citizens to reach the progress it is enjoying today.

She also added that in the celebration of the 25th Sikhayan Festival in 2024, companies and industries inside the city will be invited as participants in the street dance competition.

“Let us all prove that the Lion City will keep on roaring and will keep on developing… Santa Rosa will be the best city to play in, do business in and live in not only in South Luzon but in whole of the Philippines,” in her ending statement.

Santa Rosa was formerly known as Barrio Bukol which is part of Bian. It became a separate municipality on January 18, 1792, and the celebration of Sikhayan Festival coincides with the anniversary of its establishment as a separate town.

Participatory governance since 2007

The City of Santa Rosa, under the leadership of Mayor Arlene, has been implementing the participatory style of governance style ever since. It is a style of governance in which the officials give importance to the participation and contribution of every sector in creating and implementing the plans and programs.

Because of the solidarity of every sector, the city continues to receive recognition every year. Some of the recognitions received in year 2022 include the Seal of Good Local Governance Award, Outstanding Anti-Drug Abuse Council in 2021 from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Outstanding SUBAYBAYAN LGU in Calabarzon -Top Subaybayani Compliant LGU and Top LGU Implementer (Cities and HUC) from the DILG-4A; Top 9 Most Competitive (Economic Dynamism) – Component Cities from the Department of Trade and Industry; NHA Maintainer Award 2021 from the Calabarzon Regional Sub-Committee on Nutrition; Gawad Kalasag Seal of Excellence - Beyond Compliant from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council; and Finalist in the Most Business-Friendly LGU for City Level 2 Category of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Another proof that the participatory governance style is continuously implemented is the creation of the latest Executive-Legislative Agenda. The ELA 2022-2025 is not just a unified plan of the executive and legislative branches of the local government unit, but also the people of Santa Rosa. Part of the ELA 2022-2025 are the plans created by the Civil Society Organizations within the city during their planning workshop last December 2022.

All of these is for the city to reach the kind of government it aims to be under the leadership of Mayor Arlene, hence the governance slogan, “Serbisyong Makatao, Lungsod na Makabago” .

(Roy Tomandao)